the North Atlantic purse-seine catch for 

 1954 axe summarized in Appendix tables 5-8 

 and 16-19, The data are tabulated by sexes 

 separately and sexes combined. Individuals 

 which were aged, but for which sex was not 

 determined, are included in the total for 

 the age group. 



The length composition of the Middle 

 Atlaintic purse-seine catch from 1952 through 

 1954 is illustrated in figure 11. The fre- 

 quency curves show the progression from year 

 to year of a single dominant mode through 

 the catch. Evidence that the progression of 

 this mode was due to the growth of the 1951 

 year class was furnished from an analysis of 

 the age data (cf. fig. 9). 



The length and weight composition of 

 each age group in samples from the Atlantic 

 coast purse-seine catch for 1955 are sum- 

 mcirized in Appendix tables 9-13, 20, jind 



22-25. Data from the 1955 spring pound-net 

 catches are tabulated separately in Appendix 

 tables 15, 16, 21, and 26. 



The length composition of the purse- 

 seine catches in individual areas along the 

 coast in 1955 is illustrated in figure 12. 

 The outstanding feature of the length distri- 

 butions is the marked diversity in position 

 and shape of the curves for the different 

 areas. Those representing the summer catches 

 show a progressive increase in length of the 

 fish from south to north, and the spread in 

 length distribution tends to be greater in 

 southern waters (South Atlantic and Chesa- 

 peake Bay). In general, the major modes 

 represent the predominant age groups in the 

 individual areas. It is obvious that the 

 fishery in each area was supported by dif- 

 ferent groups of fish. 



In the South Atlantic, fish in summer 

 catches ranged from about 110 to 235 milli- 

 meters in length, with a dominant mode at 



-1 — T=n — i — I — I — I I I 



180 ?nn 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 

 FORK LENGTH IN MILLIMETERS 



eo 100 120 140 160 leO 200 220 240 260 260 300 320 340 



FORK LENGTH IN MILLIMETERS 



Figure U. --Length composition of samples from Middle 

 Atlantic menhaden purse -seine catches, 1952-54, 

 The frequency polygons are based on the 100-fish 

 samples . 



Figure 12. --Length composition of samples from Atlantic 

 coast menhaden purse -seine catches, by area, 1955. 

 The frequency polygons are based on the 100-fish 

 samples. 



17 



